2-Mercaptoethanol

Overview IFRA Request a quote

  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    60-24-2

    Molecular formula
    C2H6OS

    SMILES
    C(CS)O

    Safety labels

    Corrosive
    Corrosive

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

    Irritant
    Irritant

    Health Hazard
    Health

    Environmental Hazard
    Environmental

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Sulfurous 73.34%
    Meaty 70.42%
    Savory 40.04%
    Onion 38.14%
    Garlic 35.04%
    Fishy 33.08%
    Roasted 30.3%
    Alliaceous 30.27%
    Burnt 29.89%
    Cooked 28.19%

     

    Flavor
    Odorless 49.9%
    Sulfurous 31.35%
    Pungent 28.83%
    Bitter 27.3%
    Alcoholic 26.6%
    Fishy 24.68%
    Sweet-like 23.24%
    Very slight 23.1%
    Sweet 22.95%
    Cauliflower 20.87%

     

    Odor impact est.
    High

    Odor threshold

    • Odor Threshold Low: 0.12 [mmHg]. Odor Threshold High: 0.64 [mmHg]. [Hawley] Odor threshold from CHEMINFO
    • 0.38 mg/cu m (Odor low) 2.04 mg/cu m (Odor high)
    • Odor perception threshold is 0.0001 ug/L.

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    -0.2

    pKa est.
    9.17 (weak base)

    Molecular weight
    78.14 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Fast

    Melting point expt.

    • -148 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • < 25 °C

    Boiling point

    • 315 to 316 °F at 742 mmHg (decomposes) (NTP, 1992)
    • 158 °C
    • Decomp at bp 157-158 °C, 742 mm Hg
    • 157 °C

    Flash point

    • 66.28 ˚C est.
    • 165 °F (NFPA, 2010)
    • 74 °C
    • 165 °F (74 °C) (open cup)
    • 74 °C o.c.

    Solubility expt.

    • greater than or equal to 100 mg/mL at 68 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • 1000000 mg/L
    • Miscible with alcohol, ether, and benzene /Pure liquid/
    • Miscible in most organic solvents.
    • Miscible in water
    • Solubility in water: miscible
    • Practically insoluble or insoluble in water
    • Soluble (in ethanol)

  • Synonyms

    • 2-mercaptoethanol
    • Beta-Mercaptoethanol
    • Mercaptoethanol
    • 60-24-2
    • Thioglycol
    • 2-Sulfanylethanol
    • Ethanol, 2-mercapto-
    • 2-Thioethanol
    • Thioethylene glycol
    • 2-Hydroxyethanethiol
    • Monothioglycol
    • Thiomonoglycol
    • 2-Hydroxyethyl mercaptan
    • 2-Hydroxy-1-ethanethiol
    • 1-Ethanol-2-thiol
    • Hydroxyethyl mercaptan
    • Monothioethylene glycol
    • 2-Mercapto-1-ethanol
    • 1-Hydroxy-2-mercaptoethane
    • 2-Mercaptoethyl alcohol
    • Mercaptoetanol
    • Ethylene glycol, monothio-
    • beta-Hydroxyethanethiol
    • 1-Mercapto-2-hydroxyethane
    • Emery 5791
    • .beta.-Hydroxyethanethiol
    • 2-ME
    • USAF EK-4196
    • Monothioethyleneglycol
    • 2-sulfanylethan-1-ol
    • 2-Hydroxyethylmercaptan
    • beta-Hydroxyethylmercaptan
    • .beta.-Hydroxyethylmercaptan
    • NSC 3723
    • .beta.-Mercaptoethanol
    • CCRIS 2097
    • 2mercaptoethanol
    • HSDB 5199
    • EINECS 200-464-6
    • hydroxyethyl sulfide
    • UN2966
    • BRN 0773648
    • 14R9K67URN
    • DTXSID4026343
    • CHEBI:41218
    • AI3-07710
    • NSC-3723
    • 2-MERCAPTOETHANOL [MI]
    • FEMA NO. 4582
    • EC 200-464-6
    • 4-01-00-02428 (Beilstein Handbook Reference)
    • BME
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, >=99.0%
    • 2 Mercaptoethanol
    • 2-mercapto ethanol
    • Cuprate(6-), .mu.-2,2-(1-methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)bisimino(6-fluoro-1,3,5-triazine-4,2-diyl)imino(2-hyd
    • MFCD00004890
    • UNII-14R9K67URN
    • 2Thioethanol
    • 1Ethanol2thiol
    • b-mercaptoethanol
    • 2Mercapto1ethanol
    • 2hydroxyethanethiol
    • ethylene thioglycol
    • 2-mercapto-ethanol
    • 2-sulfanyl-ethanol
    • beta-sulfanylethanol
    • Ethanol, 2mercapto
    • mercaptoethyl alcohol
    • 2Hydroxy1ethanethiol
    • betaHydroxyethanethiol
    • beta -mercaptoethanol
    • 2-Sulfanylethanol #
    • 2-hydroxy-ethanethiol
    • 2Mercaptoethyl alcohol
    • 2-mercaptoethan-1-ol
    • 1Hydroxy2mercaptoethane
    • 1Mercapto2hydroxyethane
    • 2Hydroxyethyl mercaptan
    • betaHydroxyethylmercaptan
    • HSCH2CH2OH
    • ?-MERCAPTOETHANOL
    • beta-Hydroxymercaptoethane
    • Ethylene glycol, monothio
    • WLN: SH2Q
    • BME;2-Sulfanylethan-1-ol
    • DivK1c_000784
    • BDBM7971
    • CHEMBL254951
    • DTXCID606343
    • HMS502H06
    • KBio1_000784
    • NSC3723
    • NINDS_000784
    • Thioglycol [UN2966] [Poison]
    • STL482546
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, for electrophoresis
    • AKOS000118900
    • CCG-231050
    • DB03345
    • FM46173
    • UN 2966
    • IDI1_000784
    • BP-21398
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, for synthesis, 99.0%
    • DS-014379
    • M0058
    • M1948
    • NS00005734
    • EN300-19346
    • C00928
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, SAJ special grade, >=99.0%
    • A832651
    • Q411084
    • 3-Pyridinecarbonitrile, 4-methyl-2,6-di-5-morpholinyl-
    • F0001-1577
    • Z104473584
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, for HPLC derivatization, >=99.0% (GC)
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, BioUltra, for molecular biology, >=99.0% (GC)
    • 2-Mercaptoethanol, for molecular biology, for electrophoresis, suitable for cell culture, BioReagent, 99% (GC/titration)
    • 200-464-6
    • Cuprate(6-), [.mu.-[[2,2'-[(1-methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)bis[imino(6-fluoro-1,3,5-triazine-4,2-diyl)imino[2-(hydroxy-.kappa.O)-5-sulfo-3,1-phenylene](2,1-diazenediyl-.kappa.N2)(phenylmethylene)-2,1-diazenediyl-.kappa.N1]]bis[4-sulfobenzoato-.kappa.O]](10-)]]di-, sodium

  • Applications

    2-Mercaptoethanol (CAS 60-24-2) is widely used as a reducing agent to cleave disulfide bonds in proteins for biochemical analyses and sample preparation (e.g., in SDS-PAGE and Western blot workflows). It is also added to mammalian cell culture media to maintain a reduced environment and protect redox-sensitive enzymes. In industrial and laboratory-scale synthesis, it serves as a chemical intermediate for preparing other thiols and sulfide-containing compounds, and it can function as a chain-transfer agent to control molecular weight in radical polymerizations.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 276.63
    methanol 599.12
    isopropanol 119.92
    water 362.78
    ethyl acetate 19.35
    n-propanol 155.38
    acetone 110.49
    n-butanol 117.21
    acetonitrile 44.52
    DMF 308.78
    toluene 2.42
    isobutanol 66.08
    1,4-dioxane 58.17
    methyl acetate 33.37
    THF 102.05
    2-butanone 40.21
    n-pentanol 61.88
    sec-butanol 64.03
    n-hexane 1.81
    ethylene glycol 294.95
    NMP 157.25
    cyclohexane 3.03
    DMSO 389.67
    n-butyl acetate 24.53
    n-octanol 25.4
    chloroform 20.68
    n-propyl acetate 21.86
    acetic acid 521.29
    dichloromethane 18.68
    cyclohexanone 61.14
    propylene glycol 170.07
    isopropyl acetate 12.36
    DMAc 138.41
    2-ethoxyethanol 143.17
    isopentanol 58.09
    n-heptane 3.76
    ethyl formate 55.89
    1,2-dichloroethane 14.18
    n-hexanol 49.32
    2-methoxyethanol 329.36
    isobutyl acetate 12.74
    tetrachloromethane 9.38
    n-pentyl acetate 19.76
    transcutol 210.02
    n-heptanol 32.98
    ethylbenzene 1.95
    MIBK 16.21
    2-propoxyethanol 109.52
    tert-butanol 80.91
    MTBE 14.54
    2-butoxyethanol 81.44
    propionic acid 149.68
    o-xylene 3.41
    formic acid 627.25
    diethyl ether 16.29
    m-xylene 2.83
    p-xylene 3.31
    chlorobenzene 5.7
    dimethyl carbonate 13.19
    n-octane 1.43
    formamide 482.15
    cyclopentanone 96.4
    2-pentanone 31.56
    anisole 10.33
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 24.53
    gamma-butyrolactone 94.82
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 142.05
    pyridine 36.56
    3-pentanone 17.19
    furfural 114.82
    n-dodecane 1.2
    diethylene glycol 176.79
    diisopropyl ether 4.16
    tert-amyl alcohol 48.52
    acetylacetone 39.01
    n-hexadecane 1.2
    acetophenone 17.65
    methyl propionate 23.06
    isopentyl acetate 17.09
    trichloroethylene 27.81
    n-nonanol 21.07
    cyclohexanol 48.43
    benzyl alcohol 26.97
    2-ethylhexanol 21.32
    isooctanol 22.74
    dipropyl ether 15.75
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 6.48
    ethyl lactate 26.43
    propylene carbonate 38.45
    n-methylformamide 248.25
    2-pentanol 37.83
    n-pentane 2.64
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 69.35
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 24.65
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 56.25
    mesitylene 2.55
    ε-caprolactone 51.21
    p-cymene 4.12
    epichlorohydrin 53.46
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 8.55
    2-aminoethanol 304.81
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 147.97
    sulfolane 128.62
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 1.27
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 40.36
    n-hexyl acetate 22.84
    isooctane 1.0
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 88.03
    sec-butyl acetate 9.32
    tert-butyl acetate 15.31
    decalin 1.19
    glycerin 303.91
    diglyme 124.42
    acrylic acid 181.8
    isopropyl myristate 8.98
    n-butyric acid 135.35
    acetyl acetate 18.31
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 16.61
    ethyl propionate 11.99
    nitromethane 278.35
    1,2-diethoxyethane 28.71
    benzonitrile 16.42
    trioctyl phosphate 13.56
    1-bromopropane 6.2
    gamma-valerolactone 128.43
    n-decanol 14.72
    triethyl phosphate 11.33
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 16.77
    propionitrile 26.03
    vinylene carbonate 38.89
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 127.26
    DMS 13.8
    cumene 2.46
    2-octanol 15.68
    2-hexanone 24.74
    octyl acetate 14.56
    limonene 6.8
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 99.03
    ethyl orthosilicate 11.12
    tributyl phosphate 14.06
    diacetone alcohol 50.49
    N,N-dimethylaniline 10.61
    acrylonitrile 47.87
    aniline 19.44
    1,3-propanediol 295.03
    bromobenzene 3.13
    dibromomethane 11.28
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 22.38
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 16.96
    tetrabutyl urea 22.43
    diisobutyl methanol 10.68
    2-phenylethanol 24.67
    styrene 2.76
    dioctyl adipate 18.87
    dimethyl sulfate 28.12
    ethyl butyrate 17.76
    methyl lactate 45.05
    butyl lactate 33.58
    diethyl carbonate 11.12
    propanediol butyl ether 89.7
    triethyl orthoformate 15.22
    p-tert-butyltoluene 4.42
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 27.2
    morpholine 93.34
    tert-butylamine 31.92
    n-dodecanol 10.76
    dimethoxymethane 71.11
    ethylene carbonate 29.07
    cyrene 56.67
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 26.86
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 13.05
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 8.87
    4-methylpyridine 21.0
    dibutyl ether 11.5
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 10.68
    DEF 52.82
    dimethyl isosorbide 65.0
    tetrachloroethylene 27.55
    eugenol 40.7
    triacetin 30.25
    span 80 60.15
    1,4-butanediol 119.17
    1,1-dichloroethane 8.54
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 35.59
    methyl formate 124.2
    2-methyl-1-butanol 54.14
    n-decane 1.73
    butyronitrile 28.73
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 17.8
    1-chlorooctane 4.99
    1-chlorotetradecane 2.35
    n-nonane 1.61
    undecane 1.39
    tert-butylcyclohexane 1.29
    cyclooctane 1.14
    cyclopentanol 76.5
    tetrahydropyran 33.5
    tert-amyl methyl ether 11.81
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 98.65
    1-hexene 4.86
    2-isopropoxyethanol 68.39
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 184.14
    methyl butyrate 24.12

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction